Artificial flower and method of making same



Feb. 25, 1930. J. B. CROCKETT ARTIFICIAL FLOWER AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Feb. 15. 1928 Patented Feb. 25, 1930 UNITED STATES ia trrzrrr OFFICE JAMES CROCKETT, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T OAMBRIlJGE RUBBER COMPANY, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OI MASSA- CHUSETTS ARTIFICIAL FLOWER AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Application filed February 13, 1928. Serial No. 253,797.

late a natural thing, a multiplicity of problems arise in attempting to obtain a perfect or substantially perfect representation of the natural product. In the production of artificial flowers from more or less standard forms of manufactured rubber available in the market, it has been particularly diflicult to produce an article which develops and retains the graceful and natural formations corresponding to that of natural flowers, and

' to secure the delicate color tints and blen'dings which are present in the natural flower and without which no real imitationis obtained.

Furthermore, the production of rubber parts in various forms for artificial flowers, for instance, by moulding under pressure and vulcanizing at high temperatures, requires the use of expensive and heavy machinery, moulds and equipment, and' pro'duces' poor results, having. in mind the special purposes and effects desired.

Heretofore no suggestions have been made aimed particularly to produce good imitations of natural flowers in rubber by inexpensive methods, such'metho-ds as would be practical to be carried out, for instance, by those now engaged in the manufacture of artificial flowers from other materials.

This invention therefore has for one of its objects to produce an improved imitation flower by relatively inexpensive methods and it is mainly directed to the format-ion of the stem and calyx of an artificial flower by assembling elements into a form and dipping same one or more times into a rubber solution, thereby coating the assembly with rubber. The form is then withdrawn from the solution and the rubber coating dried and vulcanized according to ordinary methods. Reference is made to my co-pending applications Serial No. 242,526, filed Decemb r 2 4,

i927, and Serial No. 253,798, file-d February 13, 1928, for other improved methodsof manufacture.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation of an artificial flower such as is produced by my new method.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the calyx and part of the stem of the flower shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation partly in section of the form on which the calyx is produced.

Fig. 4 is an elevation partly in section of the rubber tube hereinafter referred to which forms part of the stem of the flower shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an elevation ofthe wire herein- I after referred to.

Fig. 6 is an assembly of the parts shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the assembly being shown as it appears after one or more dipping operations with a film of latex rubber deposited on the assembled forms.

Fig. 7 is an elevation partly in section of the partially formed calyx and stem after re-" moval of the form parts and 5.

According to a preferred method of carrying out this invention, a piece of rubber tubing 1 or tubing of any composition or material having the required rigidity and thick ness is fitted over a wire 2. A calyx form 3 of wood, porcelain, metal or other suitable material is also fitted over the wire 2 to abut one end of the tube 1, Fig. 6. This assembly constitutes a form for producing the stem 4-. and calyx 5 of the flower. The assembly is then dipped in a solution of rubber in an organic solvent, which solution may be colored by any shown in Figs. 3

of various pigments or dyes and may have in corporated therein Various fillers and/or vulcanizing agents. When dipped and removed the form will be provided with a complete coating of rubber 6 which is dried and the operation repeated so often as desired when it is then finally dried and vulcanized.

After the vulcanizing operation, the calyx form 3 may be removed leaving an extension of the wire 2 which may be used for securing the petals 7 or center of the flower within the calyx 5 formed by the rubber coating, or in some cases it may be desirable to withdraw I reflect that of the natural flower.

the wire 2 and insert a wire to which the bud or flower has already been attached. Under certain conditions, it may be desirable to use a calyx formed of rubber which is left in whole or in part withthe assembly. The upper part of the calyx formed by the rubber coating may be cut in the form of points or petals 5 to provide an exact reproductlon of the calyx of the particular flower to be represented.

In some instances, it may be desirable to produce the calyx with a color-tone or tint which varies from that of the stem. -Thisis easily accomplished by the present method by dipping the entire form into a solution of one color and subsequently dipping a portion of the assembly into a solution of another color. It is also possible to color the entire flower, that is, with petals and leaves attached, by dipping into variously colored baths after the calyx form has been removed and the petals and leaves attached.

By the above described method, a flower is formed which has a stem and calyx without any exterior visible line of union between them. Both are extremely natural in appearance and the color scheme may exactly The stem 4 has the necessary characteristic of rigidity due to the rubber coated tube reinforced by wire in the center, and the bud or petals 6 of the flower are bound to the stem and calyx by the wire. If desired to further perfect this arrangement, the wire may be given an adhesive coating before introduction to the rubber tube, so that it will be secured against rotative or longitudinal movement therein 7 when the assembly has been perfected.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new is:

1. The method of making artificial flowers or the like which consists of constructing a form by sliding a rubber tube over a wire and also sliding a calyx form element of larger diameter than the rubber tube over said wire, dipping the assembly in a rubber solution causing it to be coated with rubber, removing the assembly from the rubber solution, drying, repeating the dipping operation until the coating is the desired thickness, vulcanizing and removing the calyx part of the form from the assembly.

2. The method of making an artificial flower which consists of constructing a stalk form having an enlarged part corresponding to the calyx, dipping said form into a solution of rubber, removing the form from the solution, drying, repeating the dipping operation until the coating is the desired thickness, vulcanizing, removing the calyx part of the form from the assembly, and cutting the formed rubber calyx in points or the like to simulate a natural flower.

3. The method of making an artificial flower which consists of constructing a stalk form having an enlarged part corresponding to the calyx, dipping said form into a solution of rubber containing coloring mat ter, removing the form from the solution, drying, repeating the dipping operation until the coating is the desired thickness, vul canizing, removing the calyx part of the form from the assembly and cutting the formed rubber calyx in points or the like to simulate a natural flower.

4. An artificial flower having a rubber tube for its stem portion, said tube being coated with a layer or film of rubber which extends upwardly beyond the rubber tube and forms the calyx of the flower.

5. Annrtificial flower having a rubber tube as its steni portion, said tube being provided with an exteriorcoating of rubber which extends upwardly beyond the tube and forms the calyx of the flower, the coated tube being reinforced by a wire.

6. An artificial flower comprising a wire, a rubber tube positioned around said wire, a coating of rubber around said rubber tube extending upwardly beyond said tube to form the calyx of the flower, said extended portion being cut to simulate the natural shape of the calyx, and petals, or the like, arranged within said calyx and secured by said wire.

JAMES B. CROCKETT. 

